Los Angeles Chargers Team Preview 25-26

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  • By Nathan Hernandez

    Last Updated on June 11, 2025 10:37 am by Jon Mosales | Published: June 11, 2025

     

     

    In Jim Harbaugh’s first season back in the NFL at the helm of the Chargers, he had a pretty successful run, ending up eliminated by the Texans in the Wild Card round in January. Los Angeles opted to replace the yet-to-be-signed RBs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards with veteran Najee Harris and rookie 22nd overall draft choice Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina. Hampton was the second RB off the draft board after Ashton Jeanty was drafted into the same division with the Raiders at sixth overall. Second-year WR Ladd McConkey figures to be the leading receiver once again, after spending most of his rookie season as Justin Herbert’s favorite target. Quentin Johnston bounced back in 2024 after a disastrous rookie season riddled with drops and lackluster production. He cemented himself as the WR2 last season, though he faces some new competition after Joshua Palmer exited via free agency to sign a three-year deal with the Bills. He gets some new target competition in the form of rookie WR Tre Harris, who was taken in the second round out of Ole Miss. The team also brought back veteran wideout Mike Williams, who split the 2024 season with the Steelers and the Jets. The Bolts also spiced up their tight end room this off-season, bringing in veteran TE Tyler Conklin from the Jets on a one-year bargain deal. They also brought in rookie WR-turned-TE Oronde Gadsden Jr. in the fifth round of the draft. Veteran TE Will Dissly is the incumbent starter, and he was a serviceable asset for LA in his first season with the team, and in 2025 he’ll continue onto the second term of a three-year deal. The Chargers invested a bit in their offensive line, bringing in OT turned Guard Mekhi Becton on a multi-year deal, fresh off his Super Bowl win with the Philadelphia Eagles. They also brought in former Raiders Center Andre James, who appeared in 89 games in six seasons for the Las Vegas. The Chargers had a blueprint for a successful team in 2024, and made some pretty significant talent upgrades all around their roster. This roster has the potential to be elite both through the air and on the ground on offense, and the duo of Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert look poised to enter their names into true contention conversations in their second year of their partnership.

    Player most likely to beat ADP: Justin Herbert (ADP 120, QB14)

    Justin Herbert remains among the most talented NFL quarterbacks in the league, even though he hasn’t quite reached the fantasy peaks he saw out the gate in his last few seasons. Coach Jim Harbaugh stated in an interview recently that he had an epiphany that led him to the conclusion that he must help Herbert to a Hall of Fame caliber career. Herbert has torn up defenses year after year, and in 2025 he might have his most well-rounded cast of wide receivers since he finished as the QB2 overall in his sophomore NFL season. Herbert should have access to more of the field in his upcoming season than he’s had available to him in recent years, with an ascending offensive line and a handful of field stretchers now at his disposal. He has an alpha, ultra-reliable target in McConkey to boot, and if the Chargers pick up the passing volume next season, both could be in store for a ceiling outcome.

    Player most likely to fade based on ADP: Najee Harris (ADP 111, RB35)

    I admit that it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibilities that Najee Harris winds up with some top weekly finishes early this season, as rookie RB Omarion Hampton is not long for the second fiddle role. Hampton is going to be an undeniable talent that has the potential to bear a full workload out the gate in the NFL. We’re seeing a handful of teams pivot to a committee approach in recent years to great success, like the Lions and Buccaneers, and the Chargers could easily replicate that formula with two backs both more talented than those employed by the team last season. It’s only a one-year deal for Harris, so it’s no long term commitment, but it’s also in their best interest to get the most of their player before he possibly asks for more money or security on his next deal. Still, I find it more likely that Hampton is scoring somewhere around 70% of this team’s RB fantasy points, and Harris’ ceiling is a lot lower than the type of fantasy prospects I like to take at this point on the draft board.

    Late-round Flier that could blow up: Oronde Gadsden (ADP 216, TE39)

    Oronde Gadsden didn’t quite make it to my tight end rankings of the pre-draft process last month, but he has quite the intriguing profile. The 6’5” former wide receiver should instantly be the most dynamic receiving threat the Chargers have at tight end this season, though veterans Will Dissly and new face Tyler Conklin could keep him off the field to start the season. The Chargers have little financial investment in the veterans, though, and Gadsden has a boom-or-bust profile that could make the most of a potential starting job as a rookie. Conklin will offer a consistent PPR floor if he’s the starter, but Gadsden has enough in his bag to be a more dynamic playmaker than the former Vikings and Jets TE.

    Writer’s Season Win Prediction: 11-6

    For the Chargers, their biggest strength is their foundation of the quick turnaround they put together with coach Jim Harbaugh, who enters year 2 at the helm of Los Angeles. They have a phenomenal chemistry building between him and QB Justin Herbert, and they’ve done a remarkable job at surrounding him with talent. This team has a handful of intriguing talents at each skill position, and while that may be a bit frustrating to draft them individually, it should mean wonders for Justin Herbert’s fantasy potential in his sixth NFL season. Apart from the 2023 season in which Herbert only played 13 games, Justin Herbert has finished inside the top-12 quarterbacks in all four other NFL seasons under his belt. There’s no reason to think he shouldn’t be able to challenge the top pocket passing fantasy QBs like Joe Burrow or Baker Mayfield in 2025, given the upgrades added to an already effective offense. Hopefully, the retooled offensive line can give him more time to throw and keep him upright.

    Right now, the Chargers don’t have a ton of weaknesses on their roster. For fantasy football purposes, though, all the new additions in LA can make this team a bit of a headache to project for the 2025 season. Omarion Hampton should be this team’s lead back before long, but we just don’t know how the Chargers plan to rotate these backs and how soon that could change as the season wears on and Hampton gets more acclimated to the NFL. Hampton was outstanding at North Carolina, averaging 267 carries, 34 receptions, 1,880 yards from scrimmage, and 17 touchdowns in his two seasons as a full-time starting back for the Tar Heels. Najee Harris is entering his fifth season in the NFL, and he averages an uninspiring 3.9 YPC so far in his career. However, Harris has some deep ties to coach Harbaugh from college days, and he hasn’t missed a single game, playing in all 68 despite handling nearly 1,300 touches. Beyond the ground game, at this stage of the off-season, it’s impossible to figure how the team’s target share will shake up with potentially three or four new rotational pass-catchers joining the roster. Ambiguity breeds value in fantasy football drafts, but it doesn’t come without risk. Ladd seems locked in for an elite target share, but there’s not enough left over for everyone to get theirs beyond him. They play in a tough defensive division, but one with a ton of offensive firepower for some potential shootouts littered on their schedule for 2025. The offensive line has a lot of room for improvement, too, after allowing Justin Herbert to be sacked 41 times last year, the most he’s been brought down in the backfield in a single season for his career.

    My main focus for the Chargers this season is going to be the development of their young running back and wideouts, and more specifically, who will be drafted higher in 2026 drafts, Ladd McConkey or Omarion Hampton? I think there’s a great chance that both end up taken inside the top two rounds in 2026, after both light up the turf for the Chargers. Teams like the Falcons, Lions, and Eagles have a RB and a WR going in the top two rounds this season, and the Chargers could be added to that list by next year, should Hampton be handed the keys to the ground game without any new competition added next off-season. Despite being among the least efficient rushing teams in the NFL, averaging just 4.1 YPC as a team last season, Los Angeles was tied for 11th in rushing touchdowns with 17 on the year. McConkey had a remarkable rookie season, quickly developing chemistry with Justin Herbert that extends his ceiling even higher than his already-exceptional route running skills permit. He finished as the WR12 in his rookie season, and currently goes as the WR11 in the middle of the second round of off-season best ball drafts.

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    June 11, 2025, 10:36 am